I know this may sound a bit too good to be true, but scientists in Kenya figured out that human urine aged in the Sun for a couple of months (!!!) makes a very good fertilizer [which is not unexpected given the urea, and some other salts in it], but it’s also a very good, 100% organic pesticide. 😲
That’s because experts are finding that human urine aged in the sun for a couple of months can be an effective fertilizer and pesticide. It was discovered during a trial in Niger that tested pee as a soil treatment. Pest management ability was proved, too. It’s a solution on multiple fronts, as soil quality in West Africa is often poor, and fertilizer costs can be prohibitive, all according to the report.
For its part, urine has all the key components to be a replacement, containing nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, according to findings highlighted by Scientific Research Publishing. That article included experts Ibrahim Boukari Baoua and Laouali Amadou, from the Dan Dicko Dankoulodo University of Maradi and the National Institute of Agricultural Research in Niger, respectively. Both researchers were quoted in the New Scientist report.
“The team found that plots treated with synthetic pesticides had the lowest insect damage. But those treated with human urine had 20.5 times less infestation than control areas and their crop yields were 1.8 times higher,” according to the New Scientist report.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/scientists-incredible-breakthrough-studying-human-113027475.html
That sure looks like a win-win situation, though I’m not fully sure about the effort needed for collection.
I also presume that flushing (which dilutes the precursor) will decrease effectiveness, so urine should probably be collected without flushing. Also, since urine contains a good amount of NaCl [table salt] that can have some detrimental effects.
Of course there might be some drawbacks…..
“The odor is very, very strong,” Amadou said in the story, describing the sunbathed containers of urine. It’s part of a process that kills pathogens. And while it’s unclear why the urine keeps insects away, the experts surmise that smell may play a role, per the news site.
If even the insects are repelled that it must have some pretty powerful smell…. 🤭
Another article: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2471220-aged-human-urine-is-a-pungent-pesticide-as-well-as-a-fertiliser/ ( it does not appear to be an April’s fool joke as per below link! )
Study: https://www.scirp.org/journal/paperinformation?paperid=140488